Narrowing mechanism for flat knitting machines



Jan. 15, 1935. K. R. LIEBERKNECHT 1,937,690

NARROWING MECHANISM FOR FLAT KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 11, 1955 4; ll l l llllll W I "II II INVENTOR KARL RICHARD LIEBERKNECHT W ATTORNEYPatented Jan. 15, 1935" UNITED STATES NARROWING MECHANISM FOR FLAT KNIT-TING MACHINES PATENT OFFICE Karl Richard Lieberknecht, Oberlungwitz,Germany, assignor to Kalio, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application December 11, 1933, Serial No. 701,822

InG

ermany August 19, 1933 5 Claims. (01. 66-89) This invention covers a newand useful improvement in flatknitting machines and particularly in thenarrowing mechanism thereof, with the general object of-making itpossible to knit complete full fashioned stockings including thosehaving the French foot upon a single machine, thus dispensing with thefooter and the difiicult and time wasting operation of transferring thelengthof the. needles of each section. Since the picot bars operate inspace which is required for the narrowing fingers when narrowing, spaceis provided at either end of each section beyond the range of the picotbar into which the narrowing fingers are retired when idle. Ordinarilyeach section of a'legger is provided with a single pair of narrowingfingers since that is all that is re- 7 quired for the leg narrowing.Consequently, the

space for these fingers at the ends of each section is, for obviousreasons, limited to that required for these fingers and also to limitthe overall length of the machine as much as possible.

If the legger is to be used asa single unit machine two sets ofnarrowing fingers per section are required in some instances, as whenknitting stockings with French feet which include the diamond toe. Hencespace must be found for the extra narrowing fingers. This isaccomplished by this invention the nature of which is made clear by thefollowing description and drawing, of which V Figure l is a diagrammaticfront elevation of one section of a fiat knitting machine equipped withthe invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows with the picot bar in operating position and thenarrowing fingers in idle position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view with these parts-trans: posed; and "f Fig. 4 isa diagrammatic view of a stocking having the French foot including thediamond toe.

As shown in Fig. l'the section is provided with a standard picot bar 1swingable upon or with t 2, the bar extending the full length of needles3 in needle bar 4. The usual pair of narrowing fingers are shown at 5and 6 in the storage space provided for them beyond the ends of thepicot bar. ported upon the usual fiat narrowing rods 7 and 8respectively, which are slidably mounted in suitable bearings inbrackets such as 9 and 10.

In the ordinary footer the other pair of narrowing fingers are similarlymounted upon additional rods and storage space for them is pro-,

vided alongside the other pair of fingers beyond the ends of the picotbar and needles. In the machine of this invention this second pair offingers 11 and 12 are likewise mounted upon fiat narrowing rods 13 and14 also slidably supported in suitable bearings. These in turn are.contained within rotatable cylindrical bearings 15 and 16 also supportedby brackets 9 and 10 so that fingers 11 and 12 may be moved to the rightor left by rods 13 and 14 and may also be swung into and out ofoperating position by turning rods 13 and 14 in bearings 15 and 16.

At the beginning of the knitting of a stocking Narrowing fingers 5 and 6are sup-.

the picot bar is usually placed in operating position. That is to say itis swung down into the position shown in Fig. 2 so that its points areproperly aligned with the needles. At that time the narrow narrowingfingers 5 and 6 are in their storage spaces and wide narrowing fingers11 and 12 are swung into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 out of theway of the picot bar 1.

After the picot is completed the picot bar is swung into its inoperativeposition as shown in ,Fig. 3 and the usual leg, heel and sole gussetnarrowing performed by narrow narrowing fingers v 5 and 6 which havebeen pushed into proper position. Wide narrowing fingers 11 and 12remain in inoperative position (Figs. 1 and 2).

When wide narrowing fingers 11 and 12 are required as in the narrowingof the diamond toe they are swung down into operative position withtheir points in alignment with those of the narrow fingers 5 and 6, asshown in Fig. 3, the picot bar remaining in inoperative position and thetwo sets of 'points pushed into their correct relative positions. Forthe diamond toe the wide fingers are customarily used to produce theoutside and the narrow fingers the inside narrowing.

- It will be understood, of course, that the above description of theuse of the invention in knitting the French foot type of stocking isbyno means the only use for it. In fact it may be used in any knittingwhich can be performed upon a single unit machine or a legger and footercombined.

During narrowing the narrowing fingers are guided and controlled by theusual mechanisms known to those skilled in the. art and not requiringdescription here.

In this way an ordinary legger can be concerted into a single unitmachine and'at negligible extra cost and with practically no alterationof its standard parts and without afiecting in the least either theconstruction of the operating mechanism, its manner of working, or theconstruction or use of any of the numerous attachments with which fiatknitting machines in? usually equipped.

I claim:

1. Narrowing mechanism for a fiat knitting machine having fourlongitudinally alignable narrowing fingers each mounted on a separateand independently slidable fiat rod, bearings for each rod, those fortwo of the rods being fixed and those for the other two rods beingsymmetrically mounted in rotatable bearings.

2. Narrowing mechanism for a fiat knitting machine having fourindependently slidable narrowing rods, bearings for said rods those fortwo rods being fixed and those for the other two rods being mounted inrotatable bearings.=

3. A narrowing mechanism for a fiat knitting machine having fourindependently slidable rectangular narrowing rods, rectangular guidebearings for each of said rods, those for two of said rods being fixedand those for the other two rods being mounted within other cylindricaland rotatable bearings.

4. Narrowing mechanism for a fiat knitting ma-- chine having two pairsof longitudinally alignable narrowing fingers, each finger being mountedupon a separate and independently slidable fiat rod, and means wherebyone pair of fingers may be swung out of alignment with the other pair sothat each of thefirst mentioned pair may be independently moved to theother side of either one of the other pair.

5. Narrowing mechanism for a fiat knitting machine having two pairs oflongitudinally alignable narrowing fingers, each finger being mountedupon a separate and independently slidable fiat rod, the bearings forthe rods upon which one pair of fingers is mounted being fixed, and thebearings of the other rods being supported in rotatable bearings so thatthe fingers on said last mentioned @CIS can be swung out of alignly ofthe machine past the other fingers.

KARL RICHARD LIEBERKNECHT.

ment with the other fingers and slid longitudinal-

